After nearly three decades of extraordinary service to University of the Pacific, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, Nancy L. DeGuire ’89, PharmD, FACA, clinical professor of pharmacy practice, has retired. She leaves behind a legacy defined by mentorship, innovation and unwavering commitment to students and the pharmacy profession.

A proud alumna, Dr. DeGuire earned her doctor of pharmacy from Pacific in 1989 before completing a postgraduate residency at Martinez Veterans Affairs Medical Center. After several years in community pharmacy leadership with Longs Drugs, she returned to her alma mater in 1997, beginning a career that profoundly shaped the school for generations to come.

At her core, Dr. DeGuire is an educator and student advocate. Over the years, she taught and coordinated numerous required and elective courses focused on professionalism, communication, cultural competency, health literacy and public health. She was instrumental in the early development of the school’s cultural competency curriculum, work that later became embedded in the core curriculum and ultimately adopted as an accreditation competency standard.

Her dedication to students extended well beyond the classroom. Known for her tireless advising and genuine investment in student success, Dr. DeGuire dedicated countless hours to mentoring students through academic challenges, career decisions and personal growth. That commitment was formally recognized in 2009 when she received the Podesto Award for Excellence in Student Life, Mentoring and Counseling, the university’s highest honor in student life and, notably, one bestowed through student nomination.

In addition to her faculty role, Dr. DeGuire held multiple senior administrative leadership positions, including associate dean for external relations, director of development and director of postgraduate professional education. In these roles, she provided visionary leadership across fundraising, alumni relations, marketing, continuing professional education, program development and strategic planning. Working closely with school leadership for more than two decades, she helped build a culture of engagement and philanthropy grounded in authentic relationships.

Her impact in this area is measurable and lasting. Under Dr. DeGuire’s leadership, more than $60 million in external support was secured for scholarships, facilities, research and academic programs, including transformational gifts that reshaped the school’s physical spaces and long-term direction. She also served as executive director of the Pacific Pharmacy Alumni Association, strengthening alumni connections and expanding scholarship support through sustained engagement.

Nationally and statewide, Dr. DeGuire has been a respected leader and advocate for the profession. Her service includes leadership roles with the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, including serving as Speaker of the House of Delegates for CPhA. She has shared her expertise widely through peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations and professional development programs, always with a focus on advancing pharmacy education and patient-centered care.

What truly distinguishes Dr. DeGuire is her ability to bring people together around a shared purpose through supporting students, strengthening the profession and building organizations that endure. As she enters retirement, her influence remains visible in the countless alumni she mentored, the programs she built and the culture of care and excellence she helped define.